Rail-joint.



.PATENTED APR. 18. 1905.

J. W. ANDERSON.

RAIL JOINT. APPLIGATION FILED FEB.11, 1905.

f l fil/44E UNITED STATES Patented April 1s, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,607, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed February 11, 1905. Serial No. 245,173.

Be it known that I, JOHN W. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jefferson City, in the county of Jefferson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates particularly to that class of rail-joints in which elements are used to engage the ends of adjacent rails which do not engage each other.

The object of my invention is to produce a rail-joint which is lirm and requires a mini.

mum amount of attention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail-joint embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same joint. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the middle of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan of the binding-yoke, portions being broken away. Fig. 5 is an end view of said yoke.

Referring to said drawings, A A are two railroad-rails having the usual head B, web C, and foot D.

E E are ties ofv any desired form, and F F are ordinary metallic plates interposed between the ties and the rails, said plates having apertures ff for ordinary railroad-spikes S. Bet-Ween the adjacent ends of said rails there is a space large enough to receive the body it of the yoke H plus as much space as may be desirable to allow for thermal expansion of the rails. By way of general description it may be said that said yoke is of the form of the letter H, the portion of said yoke corresponding to the transverse portion of said letter being the body It, and the portions of said yoke corresponding to the upright portions or arms of said letter being the arms d and j j. In cross-section said body L conforms to the cross-section of the rails A A, with the cross-section of the armsc' and y' added at opposite sides of the portion of said body corresponding to the web of the rails ify said body and said arms are integral; but in the drawings the arms j j are the ends of a continuous straight bar G, laid against the sides ofthe rails A A and said body, so that in cross-section said body conforms tov the cross-section of said rail, with the cross-section of the arms c' added only at the side at which said arms are located. Being of such cross-section said body is adapted to be placed between the ends of the rails A A and rest on one of the plates F and have its upper face in the same plane with the upper faces of the heads of the rails A A. The opposite arms c' c' and j j are separated from each other a proper distance to receive the web C of the rails A A, and said arms extend upward and downward far enough to bear against the heads B and the feet D of the rails A A, and the lower portions of said arms are preferably extended outward and downward to Iform flanges le, reaching over the edge of the feet D of said rails to or substantially to the upper face ofl the adjacent plate F. Said flange eX- tends partially or entirely across the apertures f in said plates, and above each of said apertures said flange is provided with a notch Z, registering with said apertures. Ordinary railroad spikes S are driven through said notches and apertures into the ties E until their heads bind downward upon the lianges ic. At the side of the yoke at which the arms j' j are located the upper portion of the body 71, has an undercut downward extension m, and the bar G is provided with a recess n corresponding in reverse to said downward extension, and when said plate is in place said eX- tension extends into said notch and holds the upper portion of said plate against outward movement. Said yoke is adapted to be held in position with reference to the rails A and the ties E by the spikes alone; but additional means for securing said yoke to the rails may be used if so desired. Obviously the plates F may be omitted and the rails and said yoke secured directly to the ties.

It will be observed that my construction allows a division of the usual gap or space left between the adjacent ends of the rails to allow for thermal expansion. Each of the two spaces thus formed is only half as wide as heretofore, and such reduction in Width makes a relatively larger reduction in the descent of the wheel into said gaps,whereby the jolt or blow of the car in passing over such gaps is to a large degree reduced to a degree relatively greater than one-half.

I claim as my inventionl. As a device for forming a rail-joint, an H-form yoke comprising a body conforming in cross-section approximately to the crosssection of a railroad-rail and arms adapted to extend along opposite sides of a railroad-rail and bear against the heads and feet of said rails, the arms 'at one side of said yoke being the ends of a bar separable from said yoke, substantially as described.

2. As a device for forming a rail-joint, an H-form yoke comprising a body conforming in cross-section approximately to the crosssection of a railroad-rail and arms adapted to extend along opposite sides of a railroad-rail and bear against the heads and feet of said rails and having each a lateral flange adapted to extend over the feet of the rails, the arms at one side of said yoke being the ends of a bar separable from said yoke, substantially as described. r

3. As a device for forming a rail-joint, an H-form yoke comprising a body conforming in cross-section approximately to the crossseetion of a railroad-rail and arms adapted to extend along opposite sides of a railroad-rail and bear against the heads and feet of said rails and each having a notched lateral flange adapted to extend over the feet of the rails, the arms at one side of said yoke being the ends of a bar separable from said yoke, substantially as described.

Il. As a device for forming a rail-joint, an H-form yoke comprising' a body conforming in cross-section approximately to the crosssection of a railroad-rail and arms adapted to extend along opposite sides of a railroad-rail and bear against the heads and feet of said rails, the arms at one side of said yoke being the ends of a bar separable from said yoke, and said body having an undercut lateral extension to engage said bar, substantially as described.

5. As a device for forming a rail-joint, an H-form yoke comprising a body 'conforming in cross-section approximately to the cross- Section of a railroad-rail and arms adapted to extend along opposite sides of a railroad-rail and bear against the heads and feet of said rails and having each a lateral flange adapted to extend over the feet of the rails, the arms at one side of said yoke being the ends of a bar separable from said yoke. and said body having an undercut lateral extension to engage said bar, substantially as described.

6. As a device for forming a rail-joint, an H-form yoke comprising a body conforming in cross-section approximately to the cross- .i

section of a railroad-rail and arms adapted to extend along opposite sides of a railroad-rail and bear against the heads and feet of said rails and each having a notched lateral flange adapted to extend over the feet of the rails, the arms at one side of said yoke being the ends of a bar separable from said yoke, and said body having an undercut lateral extension to engage said bar, substantially as described.-

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 8th day of February, 1905.

JOHN W. ANDERSON. Witnesses:

J. W. CULToN, lYRUs KEHR. 

